The present invention relates generally to a vehicular body frame, more particularly, to a frame for building a vehicular body with a load bearing support system for use in cargo vehicles.
Although a large variety of box truck designs exist, they all include the common features of large interior space defined by the sidewalls, front and back walls, a roof, and a floor. The steel truck mainframe supports the flooring, which can include a wooden or metal platform secured to the main frame. The floor is normally bowed from front to rear in order to compensate for and provide some flexibility for heavy loads carried within the cargo area. The sidewalls and roof usually comprise material with little load bearing capability, such as fiberglass, plywood, thin sheet metal, fiberglass reinforced plywood, etc. The primary cargo load bearing structure for trucks of this type include the flooring and main frame. Typically, metal steel or aluminum bars mount at the box corners and along the edges of the box for the purpose of transferring carrying forces outward and downward to the main frame. Also, the sidewalls have been corrugated with vertically extending channels, or a portion of the sidewall may be fitted with a series of longitudinally spaced vertically extending channel members riveted to the inside or outside of the side walls, in an attempt to strengthen the sidewalls. However, these measures are generally ineffective in strengthening the sidewalls for carrying loads.
The box trucks have great utility, particularly for delivery companies that pickup, haul, and deliver a number and variety of packages of varying sizes, shapes, and weight. Currently, these cargo boxes and box trucks do not come with pre-built support system. The support system is generally individually built and installed by third parties after the cargo boxes and box trucks are built by the manufacturer. There is currently no standardized frame that can be used to build a vehicular body with a load bearing support system.
Currently, there is no mechanism to quickly and efficiently assemble or construct a permanent or temporary building structure with a load bearing system. Accordingly, the present invention proceeds upon the desirability of providing a skeleton or frame for mounting walls, roof, window, door, floor to build a mobile, permanent or temporary building structure (e.g., shed, warehouse, enclosure, shack, office, classroom, show room, exhibition hall, booth, garage, a field hospital, clinic, modular building structure and the like, collectively referred to herein as an enclosed structure) with a load bearing support system. The load bearing support system of the present invention provides one or more levels of accessories, such as shelves, hooks, racks, platforms, bins, drawers, cots, cabinets, sliding racks, hangars, benches and the like within and/or outside the building structure. Preferably, accessories can easily and reliable rotated or moved to their stored or utility positions. Also, the accessories are removably attachable so that they can be easily and efficiently reconfigured to meet a particular application.
Further, the present invention proceeds upon the desirability of providing a frame for mounting panels, sidewalls, roof and floor to build a vehicular body of a cargo box or cargo vehicle and mounting a load bearing support system for use in such cargo box or cargo vehicle. The load bearing support system of the present invention provides one or more levels of accessories, such as shelves, hooks, racks, sliding racks, cabinets, platforms, bins, drawers, cots, hangars, benches and the like within and/or outside the cargo area of the vehicle. Preferably, accessories can be easily and reliably rotated to their stored and utility positions. Also, the accessories are removably attachable so that they can be easily and efficiently reconfigured to meet a particular cargo or storage need. For example, one or more shelves can be moved up or down to accommodate varying sized packages.